Unfinished Business
by The Irrepressible Zordauch
Summary: At the end of "Twilight Princess", Hyrule Castle is destroyed, Midna shatters the Mirror of Twilight, and Ilia is left watching from Ordon Village as Link rides off into the sunset. Post-"Twilight Princess" Link/Ilia, some aspects from OOT included.
1. Chapter 1: The Ranch

After the events in Twilight Princess, there are matters of unfinished business to take care of. Third-person focus on Ilia, Link/Ilia romance. Rated T for intense emotions at the end. Nintendo owns all intellectual rights to the characters in The Legend of Zelda and all other related names, descriptions, locations, et cetera. I just wish they had provided a better _denouement_ for all the characters they featured.

**Chapter One: The Ranch**

Everything was peaceful as the sun set over Ordon Village, the golden rays of twilight bathing the sky in a soft glow. Talo swung and thrashed his sword in the small area between the table and the pumpkin patch. Beth and her father, Hanch, were posting posters with Malo's deceptively-cherubic face on the sign, eaves, and door of Sera's Sundries—or, as it would now be called, "Malo Mart: Ordon Branch." Colin and Rusl sparred while Uli watched from the doorstep, nursing her baby. Routine came easily to the village, in spite of all that had happened in the last month. Sometimes, Ilia pondered as she gazed over the village from her roof, it seems as if I'm the only one who remembers Link. Sure, Father complains about having to keep an eye on Fado up at the ranch, and how hard it is to herd the goats without Epona, but he never says anything else. Glancing up the hill, she noticed that the ranch gate was still open. Sighing, she carefully walked over to the ladder, climbed down, and made her way up the path, arriving just as Bo was closing the gate.

"Well, evenin' there, Ilia!" Bo paused as he hung the lock in the clasp. "I was actually just about to close the corral up for the night and come home. Is there anything you wanted?" he asked, worry crossing his face.

"No, nothing really, Father," she sighed, her gaze ranging over the enclosed field. "I just… well, I wish… I need to think for a while, that's all." She straightened up and smiled, facing Bo. "It would've been nice to be alone, that's all."

Bo nodded as he took off the lock and removed the key from a belt pouch, handing both of them to his daughter. "I can only imagine what you went through when those monsters kidnapped you. Just make sure you lock up when you come home." He glanced toward the barn with the slightest smile. "Truth be told, I'd sooner trust you to keep those goats in their pens than Fado."

"Thank you, Father." Ilia smiled in relief as she embraced him. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, honey." He gently patted her back and kissed her forehead as they hugged. "Just don't get too cold out here. Good night, honey."

"Good night, Father." As Bo trudged down the hill, Ilia was reminded of Link's departure. She had stood at the north of the clearing where Link kept his house, watching as he rode further northwards toward Faron Woods and the rest of Hyrule beyond. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Just because her father was moving away from her at the moment, it didn't mean he was leaving her or anyone else in the village; she would see him again that night when she would go home. Exhaling softly—_not_ sighing, she insisted to herself—she began pacing the track.

The evening was cool, and Ilia found herself rubbing her bare arms. Clearing her mind was an exercise in futility: Of course the ranch _would_ remind her of Link; whether it was the goats that had always preferred his care to that of Fado, the hoof prints left by Epona, who had preferred his care to her own, the scent of hay that always lingered on him and triggered the return of her memories, or even those silly fences that he and Fado had set up specifically to test Epona's jumping skills, everything reminded her of him. The frustrating thing was that if Link hadn't been so annoyingly _good_ at fence-jumping, Talo might have gotten a worse fate than a scolding after chasing after the monkey. Judging by what the other children and Renado had told her about Colin's sacrifice in Kakariko village, as well as her own fuzzy memories of the wagon ride with the Zora Prince, Link's exertions of Epona had saved them all.

Looking down in her reverie, Ilia noticed a patch of the horse grass growing near the track. Just a day before the monsters arrived, she had asked Link to whistle through one of the blades to play the song that Epona had always liked. That was the first time she had really paid attention to the simple song; she kept it in her mind all the next day as she carefully carved the whistle that he was supposed to get before he went to Hyrule—he _did_ get it eventually; it wasn't her fault that the monsters delayed the delivery. And it had worked; Link had told her what a relief it was to be able to call Epona from anywhere in Hyrule field without trying to find horse grass that might be a mile away. She sat down, idly plucked a blade, and, with a bit of effort, managed to reproduce the call. Not surprisingly, nothing happened. She lay back on the grass to watch the stars. They reminded her of the sparkle of intelligence in Epona's dark eyes, which of course reminded her of Link. With a grunt of disgust, she rolled over on her side and closed her eyes.

A blast of warm air hit her in the face. Squeezing her eyelids tightly shut, she waved an arm in the general direction of the offending beast. "Go away, you stupid goat," she muttered, barely coherent.

"That's not very nice," teased a familiarly gentle voice. Ilia rolled up to a half-sitting position, a chestnut-colored horse with a long white mane whinnying over her. The rider, hidden in shadow, continued speaking. "If you're going to call for her, then don't insult her and shoo her away. 'She's a girl, too; you have to treat her like one.'"

Ilia rubbed her eyes with a yawn as she sat upright. "Link?" It couldn't be, but it couldn't _not_ be! Her impossible wish was granted as the figure dismounted, revealing the now-familiar green hat and tunic. The long-familiar face smiled, and she leaped up to embrace him, to confirm the reality of his presence. "Link! I didn't expect to see you again! What are you doing here!"

"You tell me: _You're_ the one who called Epona." He gently pushed her back so that they were a forearm's length away from each other, their hands resting on each other's upper arms as they gazed at each other. "It was quite the experience trying to stay in the saddle once she heard you play her song in the grass. It was almost as bad as calming her down when the Bulbins stormed her into Kakariko."

"The grass?" Link's narration of his experiences was ignored as Ilia glanced down at the patch of grass in wonder. "How close were you?"

"Not all that close, but this girl's got good ears," he explained with an affectionate glance at the mare. "I was just on the Hyrule Field trail between Faron and Lanayru provinces when her ears twitched. If you'd called an hour later, she would've come alone; I would've been in town at Telma's, sending a message to Princess Zelda." Again, his explanations fell on deaf ears. Ilia tried to make sense of his travels—he'd been gone a week, and was just crossing into Lanayru province, yet Epona had heard Ilia play the horse grass and returned to the village within the hour.

"Ilia?"

"I'm sorry." She blushed slightly. "I was just wondering how you got back so quickly when it took you a week to get to Faron Province's northern border."

"Actually, it didn't," Link confessed. "First, Princess Zelda and I escorted Princess Midna of the Twili to the Gerudo Desert, where Princess Midna returned to her Realm. As she left, she destroyed the passageway between her Realm and Hyrule. I kept myself busy in Castle Town for a couple days before I decided that I wanted to see the passageway between Hyrule and the Twilit Realm reopened, so I returned to the Sacred Forest beyond the temple gorge to retrieve the Master Sword."

"The… Master Sword?"

"This." Slowly, almost reverently, Link drew the blue-hilted sword that Ilia had seen him carry since the week Talo started seeing wolves in Kakariko Village. The triangular design on the base of the blade echoed the pattern on the back of Link's hand, while the wing design of the guard recalled the phoenix emblem on his Hylian shield. He called her attention to the blade. "You can't see it as well at full night, but the blade's been blessed with Light from the Twilit Realm. It's allowed me to keep from falling to the curse that first affected me when the dark twilight first fell on Faron Province." He sheathed the sword and looked up at the moon. It seemed to Ilia that his gentle features took on a feral countenance.

"I don't understand," she stated. She looked past Link to Epona, seeming to draw strength from the mare's dark gaze. "If you have to carry special protection to avoid being cursed in the Twilit Realm, why do you want to open up the passageway there? Don't you want to keep that danger as far away from Hyrule as possible? Or do you like charging off into danger just so you can have a little excitement?" She glared at Link, holding his gaze accusingly. "Do you like seeing others like me in danger so that you can be the Big Hero?"

Link winced. He was keenly reminded of the evening of the attack, when Ilia had chided him for pushing Epona too hard. Sighing, he turned and took hold of Epona's reins. "You're not being fair," he informed Ilia as he raised a foot to Epona's stirrups.

"No, _you're_ not being fair!" she retorted, stepping forward to grab the reins away. "The goddesses chose you to remove the Twilight from Hyrule. You did that! Then, you defeated the dark sorcerer thief who was trying to bring darkness to Hyrule. You _won_, Link! But now you want to let the Twilight creatures back into Hyrule! Why? Can't you stay home? I don't want to lose you, Link! I LOVE YOU!"

Her shouts echoed in the ranch as she and Link stared at each other. Link was startled, but not surprised. Embarrassed by her sudden outburst, as well as the tears that were starting to trickle down her cheeks, Ilia turned and buried her face in Epona's neck. The horse whinnied softly. Link brought his foot down from the stirrup and stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Thank the Goddesses," he murmured. "I almost lost all the courage they gave me when I walked into Telma's bar and you ignored me. I couldn't stand the thought of saving all of Hyrule, only to lose you."

"Then why?" Not trusting herself, Ilia kept her face on Epona's neck. Her nose betrayed her, forcing a sniffle. "Why do you have to open the passage to the Twilit Realm?"

Link was silent. After a few moments, he offered a suggestion that shocked Ilia. "Stay at my house tonight." She tensed as he let go. "I'll find somewhere else to stay tonight, and we can discuss everything in the morning." Relaxing, she turned her head to see him undoing Epona's burdens as he continued talking. "I'll tell you where we can meet, but I don't want the whole village knowing I was here. It'll make it that much harder to leave again." Link sighed as he pulled a belt taut around a large bundle. "You should tell your father, of course—Ordona knows how much he worries about you—but don't tell the others yet. We'll all walk to my house," he nodded, indicating Epona, "then you can rest until I call her a couple hours after sunrise. That way, we can discuss everything over breakfast."

"I'd like that," Ilia admitted, turning to smile at him. He smiled back, and stepped forward to embrace her.

They hadn't embraced since she had first given him the horse call, and even then, they had been too worried about everything else going on. Now that Impaz, the children, and all the rest of Hyrule were safe, they could lose themselves in the moment. Link had never been large, especially when compared to Fado or her father, but Ilia felt tiny as she pressed herself to his torso. The hay scent that she had cherished for so long was faint, mingled with aromas from all the other places he'd been. She recognized the rich woods of Faron, the minerals from the hot springs of Kakariko and the rocks of Death Mountain, bomb powder, and the assorted goods sold in Castle Town. So many other scents were unrecognizable to her, but she breathed them in deeply. The strongest scents were metallic—the Master Sword, the Hylian shield, even the oiled mail that he wore between his tunic and white undershirt.

Growing up with Fado and Mayor Bo, Link had never thought of himself as large. After meeting the Gorons, especially Dangoro and Darbus, his own ordinariness was reinforced. Compared to Yeto, he was downright puny. Tonight, though, with Ilia's slender frame in his arms, he felt like the strongest creature in the worlds. She seemed to be seeking reassurance and protection, and he wanted to provide those for her. He wanted to keep her safe from whatever danger might be left in Hyrule or anywhere else. He held her close, warming her chilly bare arms. He knew that this was the kind of joy that awaited him in the Sacred Realm. Slowly, reluctantly, he let go. She looked up, smiling radiantly at him. Taking her hand, he guided it to Epona's reins and placed his other arm over her shoulders. Together, they walked to the ranch gate.

"It's about time, you two." Bo remarked. He was leaning against the fence inside the ranch gate, waiting, his arms folded over his ample belly. Ilia froze, panicked. Link tightened his grip on her shoulder, nodding respectfully at the older man.

"Mayor." Bo stood and approached the pair, laying a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I knew you two would end up like this ever since Rusl brought Epona here, the way you both took to her—and she to both of you," he declared warmly. "It was only a matter of time before your love for her would grow into love for each other. When it turned out that the call you made for him was the thing that restored your memory, well…." Link and Ilia smiled fondly at each other. Turning his attention to Link, Bo continued. "I would like to know where you're going, of course, but if you don't want to tell me, then I suppose I'll just have to trust you."

"Besides, if you push me, I might be forced to tell Renado how we were able to beat the Gorons at wrestling," Link teased. Bo's eyes bulged, then relaxed as he smiled at the twinkle in Link's eye.

"Obviously, we both know that some things are better left unsaid," the mayor chuckled, "so I'm just going to ask you to keep her safe out there."

"I will, sir—wait, what?"

"You _were_ rather loud a bit ago, honey," Bo remarked to his daughter. He turned his attention back to Link. "Now, if she doesn't want to lose you, and you still have things to do in the world, then it seems to me there's only one way to handle this."

Link and Ilia stared at each other, surprised. Link knew that he would enjoy having her by his side, but he also knew that there could still be danger in Hyrule. Not only that, but what would happen in the Twilit Realm? He hadn't changed into a wolf unless he allowed Zant's dark magic to touch him, but would that safety apply to Ilia? Would she fade into a spirit as she and the others had when Twilight enveloped Hyrule? For that matter, what if he did turn into a wolf, and she could see him? Would she consider him a monster? Would she be so horrified that she would reject him forever? Could he live with himself if he terrified her?

Ilia knew that she would love being with him, but she always imagined them living quietly in Ordon. She had never imagined a life of adventure, so she never learned to use a weapon. She had felt completely frightened and helpless when she was kidnapped; she had only felt marginally safer during the wagon ride when she was mentally aware of the brave warrior fending off the monsters. True, she hadn't remembered him at the time, but would she feel any safer knowing it was her Link who was protecting her? If she went with him, would she be a burden? She reached over to touch his cheek.

"I want to be with you Link, but…." She hesitated. How could she tell him everything without pushing him away?

"I couldn't bear seeing you hurt—or afraid." He closed his eyes, and Ilia thought she heard a faint growl escape his throat as he clenched his teeth. "If you come with me all the way to the Twilit Realm, the things you see there…." Ilia shivered as the natural darkness seemed to close in on her.

"We can talk about this in the morning, right?"

"Right." Link opened his eyes and smiled, relieved. Bo nodded understandingly.

"Well, if Ilia's not home after tomorrow, just give me a general idea what's going on." He headed down the path to the village, glancing over his shoulder to offer one last instruction. "If you're going to do anything life-changing, don't leave the rest of us poor villagers out of the excitement." Link and Ilia watched him leave. Almost simultaneously, they realized the significance of his remark.

"Life-changing?" They blushed. Link grabbed Epona's reins and shoved them at Ilia. Fumbling, she accepted them, and they headed toward the trail. They paused at the gate so Ilia could lock up and continued down to the village, where Ilia put the key on the back of the sign in front of her house—her father's house, she amended mentally. She had lived there all her life, but after coming back from Kakariko, it no longer felt like home. She frowned sadly as she stared at the house, Link patiently scanning the village as he made sure that no one else had seen him. A few moments passed, and Ilia adopted a slightly-more cheerful expression before turning back to Link. They made their way down the village trail, and quickly found themselves at Link's house. Together, they removed Epona's saddle and riding gear before letting her take her ease between the house and the retaining wall of the clearing.

"So… I'll see you in the morning, then?"

Link nodded. "An hour after sunrise. If you're not mounted before she takes off, just wait a few minutes before you call her again."

"Okay." Ilia glanced toward the house. "Well, good night."

"Good night." Link headed up the trail to Ordon Spring and, beyond that, Faron Woods. Ilia felt an uncomfortably familiar twinge of sadness; it seemed like she was always watching him leave. At least this time, she reminded herself, I know when I'll be seeing him again. A smile slowly crept across her face, and she turned toward the house. Her pulse quickened as she climbed the ladder and opened the door. She would sleep well that night, much better than she had during the last week.

**Author's Note: I threw in a couple formatting changes after getting some helpful feedback from Tia Ordona 23, especially as regards the passage of time. Some things might still seem like they're progressing a little fast, but I promise that things will grind to a halt in the next chapters. Meanwhile, just keep in mind that life comes at you REALLY fast, especially when you're seventeen and romantically frustrated. Eleven years later, and my favorite music is still schmaltzy love songs :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**Chapter 2: Revelations**

Ilia was awake before sunrise. She had fallen asleep quickly and slept well enough, but was anxious about missing her meeting with Link. So it was that she was able to watch the sunrise cast its eerie twilight glow over the forest. Once the sun was above the horizon, she took Epona to Ordon Spring for a wash down and a massage. She carefully groomed the mare while fairies danced around them, then began saddling her. When all the straps were cinched securely and the saddlebags balanced, she mounted, gently stroking Epona's mane and neck while she waited. As soon as she saw Epona's ears twitch, she clutched the reins and braced her knees against the horse's ribs. Doing so enabled her to stay in the saddle when the mare reared, pawing the air excitedly before dashing out of the spring and north over the bridge. Within a matter of minutes, they had passed Faron Spring, where Epona veered west into a clearing. Link was waiting near a cooking pot in front of a shack, a young man with an extravagantly large hairstyle sitting nearby. Epona halted abruptly, and Link grinned as he helped Ilia dismount. Not accidentally, she stumbled, and he was obliged to catch her as she fell into his arms.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" Ilia nodded as she snuggled into Link's torso, and he continued. "Coro here was nice enough to let me stay in his shack, and now he's got breakfast prepared. How does cucco stew sound?"

"Sounds delicious." She turned to face Link's host, bowing. "Thank you so much for all of this. My name's Ilia."

"Hey, it's my pleasure to help!" Coro exclaimed, waving dismissively. "After what he's done, it'd be rude of me _not_ to help the Hero of Twilight! Go on, now, sit down, you two!" Link blushed slightly as he and Ilia sat, while Coro filled their bowls with stew. "Now, what else can I do for you?"

"Well, I've got a bit of a journey ahead, and Ilia wants to come with me," Link began. He took a sip of broth as he collected his thoughts. "While I would like nothing more, my ultimate destination is the Twilit Realm. With Ganondorf gone, it's just as peaceful as Hyrule, but the ruler of that Realm still has a different kind of magic than what we see here in Hyrule." He turned his gaze directly to Ilia. "What I have to say may terrify you. It terrified me at first. I've gotten used to it in the last month, but…." He glanced at the Triforce on the back of his hand. "…for better or for worse, the Goddesses have granted me extraordinary courage."

"Link." Ilia smiled tenderly, reaching out to place her hand over his. "You can tell me anything."

"I hope so." With a sad smile, he placed his other hand atop hers. He didn't want to say it; he didn't want to say _anything_. He didn't want to end this moment; he just wanted to watch her radiant smile as he held her soft, delicate hand. A familiar tingle spread over the back of his hand as the Triforce glowed. Courage: It was the ability to face any challenges ahead, in spite of whatever loss was possible. Over the last months, he had faced numerous physical challenges, risking his life so that Hyrule could live safely in the light. Now he had to risk losing the woman he loved. Why? Although it was not the loss Ilia had in mind, it was the same question she had asked at the ranch last night. She deserved answers. He sighed deeply to steel his courage, forcing himself to hold her in his gaze. 

"When the Twilight fell over Hyrule, almost everyone faded into a shadow of life, becoming a wandering spirit. Echoes of their true selves, they couldn't fight the monsters that had invaded and stolen the Light of the Great Spirits, even if they could overcome the fear. Ordonian, Goron, Zora—every one a pale shadow. Even among the Hylians, only two people were able to keep a physical form. Princess Zelda was granted the gift of Wisdom by the Goddesses, so she was able to keep her form while she waited for the one who could fight the Twilight invaders. The other one had the Courage to fight, but was given a different form while Twilight was over the land. This new form was able to fight the monstrous Twilight beasts and sense the spirits that populated the land, but was invisible to the spirits so that they wouldn't be frightened." Link brought his hand up, clenching his fist and turning the still-glowing Triforce to show Ilia. "I turned into a wolf." She gasped, but he continued. "I rescued the Light that was stolen from each spring's guardian Spirit, lifting the Twilight from each province in turn so I could clear the monsters out of the temples. I would then move on to the next Twilight-covered province, turning into a wolf each time until I returned the Light to the Spirit. I was guided through all of this by Midna, Princess of the Twili people."

"Twili…people?" As Link related his story, Ilia's eyes had been widening, her pupils constricting, her jaw lowering. She had unconsciously leaned back and, although she was sitting, her current pose painfully reminded Link of the terrified—and terrifying—image that Midna had presented right after he first met Zelda. He nodded somberly in response to her vocal outburst.

"The leader of the invasion had taken over the Twili throne. He used dark magic to corrupt the people, turning them into the monsters we saw. After I defeated the monsters in Lake Hylia, he caught Princess Midna and me in a pocket of Twilight. I was able to keep him from killing her, but it left me trapped in wolf form until Princess Zelda told me where to find the Master Sword. The curse was manifested as a dark stone, which Princess Midna held so that I could turn into a wolf when I needed."

"You mean--?"

"I would become a wolf voluntarily," he confirmed. "There was still so much to do to return Princess Midna home and defeat the false king. Sometimes I had to fight evil spirits that I couldn't even _see_, but I could sense them as a wolf. My senses also allowed me to follow trails more easily, and I could talk to other animals—both talents that made it possible for me to follow the clues we needed to restore your memory."

"I have my memory now because you turned into a wolf," Ilia muttered. Link's fears had been correct: She was terrified by what he had just told her. The hazy memories she had of the last month bubbled through her surface thoughts, images of monsters dashing in and out of her mind. Boar-riding Bulbins had attacked her at Ordon Spring, and had hardly left her alone for a week since, carrying her off to Impaz' village, tracking her when she escaped to North Hyrule Field, harassing her and the wounded Prince Ralis as they made their way to Castle Town, and attacking again as Kargaroks dropped bombs on the wagon en route to Kakariko Village. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus on the appearance of the monsters, recalling the Keese, Guays, and Deku Babas that had also threatened her. Try as she could, though, she couldn't remember seeing any wolves. Occasionally, in Kakariko Village, Talo would cry out an alarm, but each time she watched anxiously from inside Renado's hut, the wolf would either go into the graveyard or the cave near Eldin Spring. It would never actually threaten anyone, though, a 'courtesy' that the other monsters never shared: They would lurk outside, waiting for someone to drop their guard. Thankfully, when monsters did threaten, Link had always been near enough to take care of matters before anyone was seriously hurt.

She hazarded a glance at him. His head was turned away from her as he gazed at the ground, leaving her to her thoughts. As she focused on the eye she could see in profile, she thought of how often she had gazed into those clear blue orbs, both before the attack and afterwards. Growing up, she had been enraptured by their open innocence. They conveyed a sense of trust that only a monster would want to break, and with that trust came compassion. The compassion was still there—it made her spine shiver when she felt it last night—but the open trust had faded. His eyes were haunted now, and cautious. They seemed… wild. Sometime last month, she had heard someone comment about his eyes. "The eyes of a beast." She couldn't remember where she had heard the comment, but it was disturbingly accurate in light of what Link had just told her. She stood up.

"I'll be back in a bit," she informed the men, who nodded as she headed toward Faron Spring. When she was out of sight, Coro broke the silence he had maintained since they had started eating.

"So the Twilight turned you into a wolf that no one else could see, because everyone else had turned into shadows?" Link nodded, and Coro continued. The oil salesman paused every so often to allow Link to confirm the details with further nods. "But as a wolf, you could see the vermin that stole the Light from the Spirit of the Spring, allowing you to defeat them. Then, once Twilight was lifted from the land and you got the Master Sword, you were able to change back and forth. Did ya happen to visit me when you were a wolf?" Link nodded.

"You warned me that most people would be afraid of me—although it was a little late, as I'd already caused a couple panics in Castle Town trying to follow scent trails. But I did appreciate finding someone who wasn't afraid of my new form," he confirmed with a brief smirk. Glancing toward Faron Spring, he saw Ilia kneeling in the water, her arms folded as sobs wracked her body. Sighing, he let himself fall back on the grass, his hands crossed behind his head. Two upturned bowls spilled cold stew on the grass nearby.

When Ilia came to the spring, she waded in as far as she could before sinking to her knees. Folding her arms, she stared at the water as it lapped at her thighs. Just as in Ordon Spring, fairies danced around her. Annoyed at their apparent lack of concern for her turmoil, she gave up on holding in her tears. They flowed freely down her face, splashing as they hit the spring's surface. The ripples spreading out from her legs betrayed the grief that shook her whole body.

"Why, Link?" she choked out softly. "You were so gentle—why did you have to turn into such a fearsome beast?"

"It was his destiny as one who wields the gift of the Goddesses," replied a soft, ethereal voice that echoed faintly in the spring. Ilia turned to the apparent source of the voice to see the fairies gathering in a swarm next to her, a figure forming as the voice continued speaking. "He was chosen to wield the gift of Courage; he became the Hero of Twilight because he fought to defend the innocent. He has no lust for power, nor desire for revenge." A woman now stood next to her, clad only in a knee-length sarong. Her long hair covered her bosom and framed her eerily child-like face. Paired gossamer veils sprouted from her back, almost like layered butterfly wings. "I am the Great Fairy; I rule over all the fairies in the land as their queen. I have watched the Hero as he endured the trials in the Cave of Ordeals. His skill is great, but the Dark Sorcerer also had great skill to accompany the gift of Power that had been granted by the Goddesses. However, the Dark Sorcerer did not have a pure heart; that is the gift that allowed the Hero to triumph." Before Ilia could ask for an explanation, the fairies began swirling around the Great Fairy. Soon, the Great Fairy was hidden from human sight, and the fairies in the spring scattered out of their swarm. 

Ilia stood and trudged to the clearing in front of Coro's shack. Hearing her approach, Link sat up expectantly. His heart ached to see her puffy eyelids and the trails her tears had made, but he restrained himself from leaping up to comfort her; terror still haunted her eyes and her body still trembled.

"When you were a wolf…." She hesitated. Gulping nervously, she sat down, facing obliquely away from Link. "Did you still… was your mind… were you still human?"

"I remembered everything," he assured her. "When I went into the Twilight in Lanayru Province, just north of Eldin Bridge, I was able to find my way by following your scent from where you had dropped your purse. I was there when Borville stormed out on Prince Ralis, invisible to everyone who had faded into spirit."

"I see." She turned around on her backside and placed a hand on Link's knee, gazing into his eyes. She saw herself reflected in his pupils, her face plainly mirroring the terror, grief, and longing that tore at her heart. "Obviously, I'm frightened. I just can't imagine you as a wolf. But I've wanted to be with you ever since Epona got us to start playing together, and this last month has only made me want to be with you even more; I don't want to give you up because of this one morning. If you can be patient with me, I hope to be able to get used to the idea."

"I'd like that." Link smiled and stood, holding out his hands to help her up. Although they embraced, she didn't feel the same warmth she had just an hour ago. She knew it was her own fear that kept her distant—Link's feelings could have only been strengthened by telling her his secret—and wondered when she would feel completely safe in his arms again. A dark corner of her heart dared to question if she would ever feel safe around him.

**Author's Note: Thanks again to Tia Ordona 23 for pointing out some of the pacing issues in Chapter 1; I've added some helpful formatting here as well. Also, I edited the Great Fairy's description after running through the Cave of Ordeals again.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Princess and Fortunes

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**Chapter 3: A Princess and Fortunes**

Ilia helped Coro clean up as Link prepared Epona for their journey. He seemed restless as he placed the blankets and saddlebags, and he paused in cinching the saddle to gaze northward. He finished up and approached Ilia.

"She's ready," he stated. "I'm pretty sure the fields are still safe, but if they're not, would you want something to defend yourself with? A slingshot, maybe, or the clawshot's fairly ease to use…?" Ilia shook her head.

"I don't have that kind of courage," she insisted. "You fight the monsters; I'll just make sure that Epona doesn't throw us."

"Fair enough." He quickly mounted, situating himself at the rear of the saddle, then extended a hand to her. She took it and allowed Link to help her up, then settled herself as Link reached around either side of her to grab Epona's reins. He hollered, and Epona galloped forward.

The sun shone brightly over the hills between Faron and Eldin Provinces as Epona charged through Hyrule Field. Kargaroks wheeled through the air and Bokoblins prowled through the grass, but they weren't nearly as aggressive as they had been while Evil touched the land. Link scanned the fields as they rode, continually assuring himself that he and Ilia could continue in safety. While Link maintained his vigil, he continued to drive Epona northward, alternating her pace between a gallop and a trot. Ilia briefly forgot her fears as she admired the scenery rushing by, the woods thinning out to a wide field as they crossed a bridge over a creek. As they continued northward, they came to a narrow pass in the hills. Link easily guided Epona through the twisting trail until they reached another clearing, where a Goron stood at the opening to the pass. Pulling Epona to a halt, Link dismounted.

"Greetings, Brother!" cried the Goron.

"Greetings," Link replied. "Have you seen whether the Deku Babas have been active this last week?"

"Not a sign. Patriarch Darbus and Gor Coron have had me keep watch down here while they help rebuild the castle."

"Good." Seeing that Ilia had safely dismounted, Link grabbed a couple items from the saddlebag and stuffed them in his belt pouches. He then slapped Epona on the rump, sending her to graze in the tall grass nearby.

"Why are we stopping here? Where are we?" wondered Ilia. Link pointed to the broad stone stairway a short distance away.

"Those steps lead up to the Castle Town South Gate," he informed her. "Much quicker than the eastern detour across the Great Hylian Bridge."

"Well, that makes it easier on Epona," she agreed. Taking Link's outstretched hand, she allowed him to lead the way. They walked at a leisurely pace, coming to the fountain in the middle of the steps as the sun began to set. At the same time, a little girl in a lacy green dress decorated with embroidered butterflies walked away from the flowerbeds surrounding the fountain, her parasol open overhead as she ascended the stairs. As the golden glow of twilight deepened over the land, Ilia heard the ring of steel on metal. She turned to see Link holding out the Master Sword level with his chest.

"It's glowing," she remarked as she reached out to touch the flat of the blade. It was cool to the touch.

"It's not as bright as it was in the Twilit Realm, but it's still visible in our brief twilight." He sheathed the sword and advanced toward the town walls. "Let's go on: I just wanted a chance to show you the Light that was still in the Master Sword." Ilia nodded and followed Link as he headed up the stairs. She didn't completely understand anything he was saying about the Twilit Realm, but most of her trust in him had returned as the shock from that morning's revelation had faded. As they passed through the gate, she reflected on what had passed during the day and realized that it was her silence during the ride that had restored her trust. Link had always been laconic; his verbose explanation had been almost as alien to her perceptions of him as the idea of him in the form of a wolf. As they turned a corner, Ilia suddenly recognized their surroundings.

"Isn't Telma's Bar that way?" she asked, gesturing to the alley behind them. Link nodded.

"We'll go there in a little bit," he confirmed. They passed a haughty-looking middle-aged woman, stopping in front of a house where a man studied a sandwich board on the porch. As Link opened the door, Ilia glanced at the sign: Princess Agitha's Castle.

Somewhere inside the "castle", a music box played a sprightly minuet. A tree grew in the middle of the building—or had the building been built around the tree? Several sparkling lights danced around the tree, which Ilia found—to her surprise and delight—to be a dozen different kinds of insects. She laughed as they danced around her, and as she twirled, she recognized the girl she had seen on the stairs. She also saw Link, smiling amusedly at her, and halted with a blush. Shyly, she stepped forward. The girl curtsied.

"Welcome to my castle!" she cried cheerfully. "I'm Princess Agitha of the Insect Kingdom. Are you here for my insect ball?" Ilia hesitated, glancing at Link. He was smiling more warmly than she had seen since before since before the monsters attacked.

"I'm afraid not," Link replied courteously. "This knight still has to do something in the desert where the dayflies are found. However…." Ilia watched, perplexed, as Link extracted a purple rupee from his pouch. "I wanted to give you this token of happiness, with the promise of more to come if it turns out that I have a partner."

"Why, thank you!" cooed Agitha.

"Green Knight, Green Knight

Not only are you brave

But generous, too.

I wish I could find more knights as noble as you."

Agitha followed her recitation with a curtsy. "Good luck on your quest, brave knight, and may you find the happiness you seek.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Link bowed, then led Ilia outside.

"So why the big rupee for the little girl?" asked Ilia, drawing even with Link. He turned his head toward her with a smile.

"Whenever I found a bug in my travels, I'd catch it and bring it to her," he explained. "Each time I brought her a new kind, she would give me a purple rupee and ask if I could find its partner—one of the same kind, but of the opposite sex. When I did, she'd coo over how happy the pair looked, then give me an orange rupee."

Ilia stared at him, dumbfounded. He waited patiently as she quickly gathered pebbles and other debris from the sidewalk, placing them on the steps to Agitha's Castle. When she had all she needed for a makeshift abacus, she started demanding to know how many pairs of bugs he had caught. He told her gladly, even mentioning the two times he had received wallets instead of rupees. When her calculations were finished, Ilia stared at the rows of markers. The figure they represented _couldn't _ be right, she must have made a mistake somewhere.

"One thousand, six hundred and fifty rupees?" She looked up at Link incredulously. "What did you do with all that money?"

"Well…." Link started counting off on his fingers. "It all gets muddled together with the hoards that the monsters had hidden in the temples, but I do remember donating a thousand to Malo's fund to repair the West Gate bridge…."

"Malo?" Link nodded, and Ilia shook her head. No wonder the boy was able to buy Sera's store….

"Then, there was the two hundred to open up Malo Mart here in Castle Town, in the central square," Link continued.

Ilia couldn't believe her ears. The youngest—no, second-youngest—child in Ordon was rich enough to buy the ranch and everyone else's homes. Slowly, her knees as wobbly as a newborn foal's, she stood.

"Plus, there was the cost of my equipment, especially things like arrows and bombs," he added as he helped her up. He reached into his belt pouch, extracted two yellow rupees, and placed them in her hand. "On top of that, there were times when I didn't know what to do next, so I had to get some outside advice." Pointing to the door immediately to the west, where the middle-aged woman stood, he gently pushed her in that direction. Ilia read the sign over that door, and glanced back at Link.

"I really don't think I need a fortune-teller," she protested.

"You still seem troubled," Link countered. "Go on; I'll be waiting right here."

"Fine." Annoyed, as well as nervous, she opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dark, lit only by a glowing crystal ball that sat on a small table. Behind it sat a portly woman, her hair styled up, with golden hoops in her ears, a shawl draped across her shoulders. Rich drapery hung in front of the windows and over the walls and ceiling, keeping any outside light from entering the room. Ilia only had a second to take it all in before the woman spoke.

"Welcome to Madame Fanaldi's Fortune-Telling Palace! The fates swirl about you, and only I can tell what they have in store! The door to the future will open for ten rupees!" intoned the woman. Ilia handed over one of the yellow rupees, curious as to why Link would have given her two. "Now, which gate will you open, child: The gate of career, or the gate of love?"

"Love." Ilia rolled her eyes with a smile as she considered Link's possible motivations for sending her in here. Fanaldi began waving her hands over the crystal ball as she chanted.

"_Tiaw… gnidaol sekat elihwa… tiaw… gnidaol sekat elihwa…"_ The fortune-teller bolted out of her trance. "I SEE!" Curious, Ilia bend down to examine the crystal ball.

The globe darkened as an image began forming. Dark clouds covered the sky; the horizon glowed orange with Twilight. Grey-skinned people walked across islands floating in midair, large black buildings looming over the populace. The pace of the inhabitants suggested a time span of many hours, but the Twilight remained constant. The image lingered for a minute, then faded. Madame Fanaldi spoke.

"Go to the place that I have shown you and do… something." Confused, Ilia waited for an explanation, but Fanaldi merely asked if she wanted to open the gate that would show her career. Declining, Ilia thanked Fanaldi for her reading and headed back outside. Link, who had been leaning against the wall, stood up when he saw her. He made his way across the main street, Ilia following as he passed the guard who watched the alley leading to Telma's Bar. She placed a hand on his shoulder as they descended the stairs.

"Link… when you told that girl—"

"Princess Agitha," he volunteered.

"Princess Agitha… you told her that you'd share more 'happiness' with her if it turns out that you have a partner?" Link nodded, and Ilia continued. "Did you… I think I know, but… what did you mean by that?" Link smiled as they stopped, a hand on Telma's doorknob.

"It means I want to spend my life with you," he confirmed. "After what I've told you this morning, I'll understand if you're still afraid, so I don't want you to make your decision until we get back from the Twilit Realm."

"I think I can wait until then." She thought about the alien landscape she had seen in Fanaldi's crystal. That perpetual glow on the horizon—was that the Twilit Realm? Setting her questions aside, she followed Link through the door.

**Author's Note: This segment is where chapter divisions started getting fun for me, but I decided to go ahead and place the rest of the evening in its own chapter. Look forward to a heart-to-heart chat between Ilia and a laconic warrior—not Link, though!**


	4. Chapter 4: Telma's Bar

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**

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**

Chapter 4: Telma's Bar

With peace restored in Hyrule, more people were able to travel, resulting in massive crowds in hospitable establishments. Telma's Bar was no exception: Besides the usual gathering of off-duty soldiers, the front of the bar was packed with Hylian townsfolk, Gorons, and Zoras. Hearing the door open, Telma glanced up from serving drinks and smiled broadly.

"Why, hello there, young'uns! I'll be with you in just a couple minutes; you just make yourselves comfortable!" Link acknowledged her with a jaunty salute, taking Ilia's hand as he weaved through the crowds. He approached a curtain that isolated the back area from the rest of the bar. Ilia grabbed his shoulder.

"Should we?" she shouted over the racket. "If it's blocked off…." Link merely smiled reassuringly and ducked through, pulling her with him. The curtain blocked out most of the noise, allowing her to clear her head as she scanned the room. Aside from the expected storage jars and crates, there was a table on which a map of Hyrule was spread, with four people sitting around it. She recognized Shad, the young scholar who had come to Renado's home to study the ancient statue in the basement; there was also the Postman, whose name she had never learned. Besides those two were an old man in worker's coveralls and a woman, not much older than herself, clad in armor. The men's expressions visibly brightened upon seeing Link; the armored woman merely nodded.

"It's good to see you again," the older man declared, rising to shake hands with Link. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

"Certainly." Link gestured to the scholar. "Shad, you remember meeting Ilia in Kakariko Village."

"Of course; how could I forget?"

"Ilia, this is Auru…." The old man bowed. "…and Ashei." The woman nodded curtly. "Together with Rusl, they helped me find the temples that held the tools I needed to defeat Ganondorf—plus, they helped me defeat the monsters in the castle once we could get inside," he explained. "Everyone, this is Ilia, daughter of Bo the Wrestler, and my friend since childhood." Ilia bowed to the group, and Ashei finally spoke.

"Childhood friend, huh? Are you going to get married?" Ilia felt her face burn as her heart began racing. Clasping her upper arms, she sat down and tried to avoid everyone's gaze as she bit her lip. Sitting down next to her, Link wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He leveled his gaze at the still-standing Ashei, and was about to reply when Telma came through the curtain.

"Now don't frighten the poor girl!" she said, chiding Ashei before turning her attention to Link. "Now, before I forget, someone at the castle figured that my place would be the best place to reach you. I was ready to hand it over to the Postman, here, but here you are, always in the right place at the right time." She held out a scroll, which Link accepted. The scroll itself was creamy white paper, as opposed to the pale brown parchment most people used. A gold-colored ribbon with blue trim was wrapped around it, sealed to the paper with red wax: This was official business, and whoever had sent the letter obviously wanted that fact known before the message was read. Link broke the seal and studied the message, his expression neutral. Ilia read over his shoulder.

_

* * *

_

Link of Ordon, Hero of Twilight:

_Your recent service is the subject of reverent gratitude not only within Hyrule, but all of the peace-loving Realms. Your character as a knight is impeccable, as you have demonstrated that you do not seek for personal glory, but only defense against evil. As you have been charged with wielding the sword that was Ordon's tribute to the reign of Hyrule, it is a matter of much speculation and curiosity that you did retrieve the Master Sword, as Evil does not threaten any of the Realms. A representative of the Royal Family will be at the Observation Deck near the café in Castle Town Central Square every morning until the tenth day from the defeat of the Dark Sorcerer. If the representative does not receive your report before then, the Royal Family shall be required to make an official Public Summons. Do not force this drastic step, but answer this request speedily and continue to show the honor that has maintained the peace in Hyrule._

* * *

The letter was stamped at the bottom with a simple seal, comprised only of a yellow Triforce superimposed on a blue rectangle. Link rubbed his forehead.

"I hate court language." He handed the scroll to Ashei. "Here, you have a way with words. What does it say?" Ashei took the scroll, skimmed it briefly, and handed it back to Link.

"The Princess wants to know why you took the Master Sword, since you don't seem to need it now," she stated. "If you're not at the Goron's shop in Central Square in six days, you'll have the army after you."

"Not that you couldn't take on the lot of cowardly braggarts single-handedly, but that's not your intention, is it?" remarked Auru. Link shook his head.

"I actually wanted to meet with the Princess and make a suggestion," he explained. "If she agreed, I thought that what I wanted might need the Master Sword—more as a token than a weapon. It takes a little while to get to the Sacred Forest and back, so I got the Sword beforehand to save Her Highness the wait."

"Well, you might not have the fancy words, but you're just as courteous as any noble I've met, Link honey!" Telma declared. She glanced over her shoulder to the curtain that separated them from the public area. "I'm afraid business calls, but you're more than welcome to stay the night again. I didn't know you'd be coming tonight, so I don't have a spare room, but if none of you boys mind, you can share with Shad and Auru."

"Mind? Sharing a room with the Great Hero?" Shad exclaimed excitedly. A slight smile tugged the corners of Ilia's mouth upwards as Link blushed.

"It's no trouble at all, Telma," Auru assured her.

"Good. And Ilia, too, if you don't object," she added with a glance at Ashei.

"No big deal, yeah?"

"Wonderful! And keep your rupees," Telma ordered when she saw Link reach for his belt pouch. "Sure, I've got a business to run, but I wouldn't be a good Hylian if I made the Hero of Twilight pay for a room. I'm almost ashamed to make you share," she muttered as she passed through the curtain. Link's blush deepened, and he stood up as soon as Telma was past the curtain.

"So, ah… the room?"

"Zora room, second door on the right past the milk crates," Auru replied. Link nodded and headed off. Ashei quickly finished her drink, then motioned to Ilia.

"Come on. You want to get settled for the night, yeah?"

"Sure." Ilia stood, following the older woman to the quarters they would share that night. Next to the door, a plaque decorated with a stylized serpent was labeled 'Lanayru'. The room itself was small, barely larger than her alcove in her father's house back in Ordon Village. A small dresser occupied one corner of the room, against which leaned Ashei's rucksack. Her bedroll was spread over half the floor, an unused bed occupying the other half. Ashei jerked a thumb at the bed.

"I never sleep in beds; it takes me at least a week to get used to the field afterwards," she informed her new roommate.

"Oh. Well, thank you anyways," Ilia replied. Gingerly, she stepped over the bedroll and sat down on the bed. Folding her hands over each other, she gazed at her lap. By the dresser, Ashei worked on removing her armor. When that was finished, the soldier untied her braids and ran her fingers through her hair. The few tangles that were left after she shook out her hair got the Gordian treatment—Ilia, happening to glance up, winced as she saw the dagger that sliced through the jet-black hair.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she ventured timidly.

"Yeah." Ashei sliced through a couple more knots, then set the dagger on the dresser. "I've gotten used to it, though," she explained as she got into her bedroll. "Besides, the tug is nothing compared to a Lizalfos' tail-swipe. One of those gave me a bruise on the ribs that lasted nearly two weeks."

"Wow." Ilia swung her legs off the other side of the bed, standing up so she could pull down the covers. When she had climbed under the covers, Ashei spoke again.

"Sorry about earlier, but I gotta know, yeah? Are you gonna marry Link?" Ilia was silent for a minute, and Ashei snorted. "None of my business, I guess. If I'm too—"

"I don't know," Ilia admitted. "I'd daydream about it all the time back home. When my father would send me up to the ranch with lunch, I'd imagine what it would be like to be his wife. After my memories came back a couple weeks ago, we hugged—_really_ hugged—for the first time, and it was so wonderful! Since then, I've daydreamed about what it would be like if he would kiss me. Then, last night, he shows up, and when he tells me he still has hero things to do, I yell at him and tell him he can't leave because I love him. As it turns out, my father hears me yelling and apparently sees us hug, so he tells us he's been expecting to see us get together." She sighed, catching her breath.

"So? What's the problem?"

"Well, just like a man, he hasn't told me that he loves me," she retorted. "He's said that he couldn't imagine losing me, and he all but told some bug princess across the street that he wanted me to be his partner, so I suppose he loves me, but… it'd still be nice to hear it." Ilia sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "That's not why I'm having these doubts, though," she admitted. "It's what he told me this morning about…well, this change came over him in the Twilight. If it was just that, I could understand, but he _let_ himself be changed after the Twilight was gone."

"Hm. Did this change have anything to do with a wolf or an imp?" Ashei wondered aloud. Shocked, Ilia sat up and leaned over the bed's edge.

"How…? Did he tell you?"

"Nah. I was checking back on the man-beast at Snowpeak when I saw a wolf fall from the sky. Some imp came down right after and landed on its back—hard to believe, yeah? So I rubbed my eyes, and when I looked again, they were gone. Link was there instead." Ashei turned over and rested her head on her forearms. "So that explains it," she remarked quietly as she closed her eyes.

Ilia lay back down, dumbfounded. She hadn't planned on telling the older woman Link's secret, so she didn't know what kind of reaction to expect. Ashei's calm acceptance was almost unnatural, though. Then again, Ilia mused, she didn't say anything when I was gushing out my feelings for him like some besotted farm girl—isn't that what I am? She groaned in frustration, rolling onto her side and yanking the blanket over her head. From her bedroll, Ashei stirred.

"War changes people, yeah?" Ilia lowered the blanket and peered over the edge of the bed. Ashei still lay on her stomach, although her face was turned somewhat toward the younger woman. "You're lucky. Link only changed shape, and it sounds like he's told you everything."

"How is that lucky?" wondered Ilia, her voice heavy with annoyance.

"Lots of soldiers clam up for good. When that kind gets married, their wives are always bruised. It's the ones that talk that stay decent."

Ilia pondered Ashei's implications, thinking about all the couples she had known back in Ordon Village. Her own father, while more of a brawler than a soldier, had always been gentle with her mother. Rusl was the only veteran in the village until recently, and although she had never received any lessons from him firsthand, she could remember overhearing some of the things he had taught Link. Chief among these impressions were admonitions of respect for the sword as a tool of self-defense and warnings against using one to attack innocent people. The swordsman lived the principles he taught—his wife Uli was the gentlest woman in the village, and his son Colin had never shown the excitement that the other village children had shown for Link's demonstrations. Jaggle was gruff if you messed with his pumpkins, but he had always treated Pergie with respect. Hanch…. Ilia giggled. The man was so henpecked, Ilia could sooner imagine Sera taking a rolling pin to his head for an absent-minded mistake than see him mistreating her—any attempt to lay a hand on her would _definitely_ earn him a few knots on his head. She couldn't imagine any of the men hurting their respective wives—in that regard, she supposed that she was lucky. If Link continued that trend, would it matter if—whether just in the past or in the future—he turned into a wolf?

**

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**

Author's Note: Much thanks to my Supernurse wife for giving me an accurate healing time span for bruises—my rough draft had a month, but apparently three weeks is pushing it, even for a thrashing from a very large reptile. Also, it's a lot of fun trying to refer to certain locations without using East/West references. Ten points to Nintendo for releasing the game on both the GameCube and the Wii, but minus several million for making Link right-handed on the latter—and, by extension, switching all lateral depictions.


	5. Chapter 5: Kyuukei

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**Chapter 5: Kyuukei**

Ilia softly hummed the horse grass tune as she brushed Epona. The mare had become much more muscular in the past few months—she probably barely exerted herself jumping fences, an activity that used to lead to more than a few pulled muscles. Ilia gently patted Epona's muzzle.

"He certainly didn't coddle you, did he?" the girl wondered aloud.

"Well, when the Bulbins had Colin, strained muscles were the last of my worries. Speaking of which, they're not very gentle on their mounts."

Ilia nodded absentmindedly as Epona ate the oats she'd held in her hand. She had turned to leave and was walking to the gate when she stopped in her tracks.

"Epona?" She turned back to see her grazing next to the goats. Shaking her head, she headed back to the gate. "Ridiculous. Animals can't talk."

"They don't normally talk to humans, but that doesn't mean that they _can't_ talk."

Ilia squealed in shock. Standing in front of her was a man-like figure in short Ordon trousers, his green fur doing little to cover his impressively-muscular torso. His legs and head were wolf-like, with great clawed paws for hands. He wore a green cap, carrying a sword and shield on his back. After a few minutes, she caught her breath, and was able to see that the creature's eyes were blue, reminding her even more of….

"Link?"

"Of course." Wolf-Link grinned, reaching out to place his enormous paws on her arms. Ilia glanced at one worriedly, and the smile on Wolf-Link's face faded. "You're not… afraid of me… are you?"

"I… I don't think so," she hedged. "I just… I don't know what to think of you like this."

"It takes some getting used to," Wolf-Link agreed. He leaned in close to her, and his cold nose touched her cheek. Ilia turned away.

"Don't be afraid; he really is quite gentle," Epona insisted. Ilia bit her lip, not willing to address her hesitation. She jumped slightly when one of the goats gently butted the back of her thigh. She gasped when she saw that it had her father's distinctive mustache—and voice.

"Well, don't be foolish, girl. You like the lad, don't you?"

"Well, yes… that is, I like the _boy_… I…." She turned her head back to face Wolf-Link. "I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can get used to you like this. It's just… weird." Link nodded sadly and was gone. Ilia felt Epona nuzzle her shoulder. "I'm sorry, it's just…."

"Your children will thank you." Ilia sniffled, forcing a smile. She left the ranch, and met Impaz at her house in the hidden village.

"Oh, good, just in time!" She handed Ilia a baby swaddled in green cloth. "Link got a summons to the castle this morning, and little Rutela's been crying for half an hour. She really needs her mother."

"Thank you." As Ilia took the bundle, she moved a fold out of the blanket away from its face. As she cooed, the baby opened its large black eyes. It calmed down, opening and closing its mouth, strengthening her fishy resemblance. Ilia rested the baby on her shoulder, burping it just as Colin ran up. The boy wore a green cap and tunic, with tan tights and brown boots.

"Mom, Malo has my fishing pole and won't give it back." Ilia sighed. So many of her older children were just like her childhood neighbors in Ordon village. She never would have imagined that giving them those names would result in so much trouble! With a sigh, she followed her oldest son to the younger boy's makeshift "store". It was a common enough complaint that Malo yielded as soon as he saw Ilia, sticking his tongue out at Colin when he thought their mother wasn't looking. Ilia just rolled her eyes. Eventually, Colin would have to learn how to solve his own problems: The Royal Family would soon be expecting him to follow in his father's footsteps, and it wouldn't be a good sign for Hyrule's next defender to be bullied by his younger siblings. She reminded herself to talk with Link about it when he returned from his latest mission. As she walked down the dusty trail to Eldin Inn, a cuccoo crowed in the distance. Frowning, she glanced at the sky. It was early in the afternoon; the sun had just barely begun to sink below the hills separating Kakariko Village from Hyrule Field. She pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders, and the cuccoo crowed again.

Ilia sat up, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming in the Zora room. Ashei had already left, taking her rucksack and bedroll with her. A knock on the door preceded Telma's entry.

"Well, mornin' there, sweetie! Hope you slept alright; you didn't have too much trouble with Ashei, did you?"

"No, none at all." Ilia blinked again, this time to clear her head. Telma puttered around the room, opening curtains and tidying invisible debris.

"Well, that's always good to know. Just between you an' me, it's always just a little odd to see a woman in armor, and I'm never really sure of whether she gets along with other women." Telma straightened up and headed for the hall, dusting her hands. "Well, I've done what I can until you're ready to leave. Link's going over some maps with the other boys in the main room; he was up before the sun as usual. Do you want me to let him know that you're awake?"

"Yes, please." Ilia ran a hand over her hair with a yawn. "I'll be out there in just a few minutes. Thanks for everything."

"Oh, child, it was nothing at all! If I couldn't take care of the Hero of Twilight and his lovely travelling companion, I would be a disgrace to all Hyrule!" She closed the door, and Ilia could still hear her prattling on as she checked the other rooms. Ilia took a deep breath and began getting ready. She reflected on her dreams as she did so, wondering if they would have time to visit Madame Fanaldi's before Link had anywhere else to go.

**Author's Note: ACK! For those of you with enough faith in my writing ability to sign up for story notifications, I sincerely apologize for my summer slacking. Besides my original excuse of having a toddler who wants to play with the laptop every time I'm on it, I've also added the excuse of working midnight shift at a Relay call center and downloading all the Virtual Console Zelda games—so now I want to incorporate elements and foreshadowing elements of those into this story, which means significant rewrites of what I had already written of the coming chapters. Fortunately, the last semester of my AA degree starts soon, which means I'll be returning to a civilized sleep schedule, and I've just finished the last Zelda game on Virtual Console, so that excuse is gone, too. Now I just need to tackle the challenge of writing expository dialogue without it turning into a complete infodump. Damn you, , for making me aware of common faults like that! In the meantime, here's a little space-filler that you can take as part of the story or ignore—I just wanted to leave **_**something**_** story-wise to go with this progress update. So, thanks to all those who've added this to their story alerts, and even more thanks to those who haven't taken this off their story alerts because of my slacking.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Princess and Legends

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**Chapter 6: The Princess and Legends**

The morning sky brightened over Castle Town as the sun rose over the foothills of Death Mountain. Ilia found Link in the main area of the bar, a map spread out on the table where he was talking with Shad. She approached the table, and Link stood.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"A little rough, but I'm fine," she replied.

"Good." He picked up the map from the table, rolled it up, and stuck it in his belt pouch. Removing another scroll from a different pouch, he called the Postman over. "I'll need you to take this to Mayor Bo in Ordon Village. Don't let the goats get it this time," he added mirthfully.

"Certainly not, sir!" the Postman declared with no small degree of pride. He slipped the scroll into his satchel and saluted. "Onward to mail!"

"What was that letter about?" Ilia asked as the Postman dashed out the door.

"Just letting your father know that you're safe, and that he can expect us home within the week."

"Us—home?"

Link nodded, smiling gently. "Once we open the passage to the Twilit Realm and talk with Midna, I won't have anywhere else to go—or did you think that I'd abandon the ranch to Fado and chance the village's livelihood?"

"Ordon forbid," Ilia agreed with a chuckle.

"Then let's go: The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get back." He took her hand and led her out the door. As they walked up the alley, he shared a bit of lore with her that Shad had told him about.

"As it turns out, the Legendary Hero of Time went through some changes of his own," he related. "It seems that when Ganondorf first attacked, the Hero was only ten years old, so the Sages sealed him in the Sacred Realm for seven years."

"I remember Renado telling me about that," Ilia said. "Apparently, not only did the Hero sleep through those seven years, but after he woke up, he would be sent back and forth between those two time periods until he defeated Ganondorf. Once he was sealed away, the Hero was sent back to his childhood."

He nodded. "Can you imagine someone Talo's age having to live with the memories of a man who had fought the worst Evil in the world?"

"Especially if he was anything like you were at that age," she remarked with a shudder. They walked quietly for a few moments. Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread over her face. "I remember how scared you were when Father started teaching you how to stop a charging goat: You ran from that harmless kid, screaming as if every bee in a swarm was stinging you at the same time." Link blushed as she laughed, heaving a sigh of relief as the street opened into the town square.

"Let's go" he said as he turned to one side; "we can get some pastries and tea at this café before we head up to the observation deck. I might even get off easy if I bring something for the Royal Messenger," he added, glancing up at the cloaked figure already waiting at the balcony.

* * *

After half an hour's queue, Link and Ilia managed to procure a sack of scones, crescents, and Danishes, fill one of his bottles with hot tea, and borrow a few utensils and some pots of butter, jam, and honey. Link handed a colorful handful of rupees to the shopkeeper, then he and Ilia went through the double doors. He greeted the Gorons inside, waving cheerfully as they passed the young ones on the stairs. At the top, a Goron guarding another set of double doors bowed to Link as he let them out onto the balcony. The figure in the black hooded robe faced the area where Hyrule Castle was being rebuilt. The robe was embroidered with a design Ilia had seen in Impaz' village: An eye with three triangles serving as eyelashes, a teardrop falling from the center. Link fell to one knee; Ilia followed suit.

"Your Highness, I have come." The hooded figure turned around. Ilia risked looking up as she kept her head lowered. Beneath the hood, she could see a pair of golden-brown braids that extended over the robe's collar, a sharp chin, delicate pink lips that framed a stern mouth, and a small pointed nose. The figure removed the hood, revealing crystal blue eyes and more brown hair tied back near the base of the neck, topped off by a diadem of gold worked into crystalline shapes, a lozenge-shaped sapphire held above the eyes. Her skin was pale and smooth, indicating an age not much greater than Link's; Ilia thought that Ashei might be older than the woman in front of her. The stern face relaxed into a warm, if slight, smile.

"Link, Hero of Twilight: Please, have a seat," she invited, seating herself at a table as she gestured to the other chairs. "And you as well, Miss. I presume that you are Ilia of Ordon, daughter of Bo the Wrestler?"

"Yes, my lady," Ilia replied. She stayed on her knees as she moved to one of the empty chairs, keeping her head bowed as she sat. "Forgive my ignorance, but are you…?"

"Queen Harkinian of Hyrule," she confirmed. "Before my father's death at the hands of the Twilight monsters, I was known as Princess Zelda. As Queen, I would be properly addressed as 'Your Majesty.'" she remarked, glancing at Link. "However, as the Hero of Twilight is pouring tea, it's obvious that this is not a proper setting, so liberties may be taken. As I still wield the Triforce of Wisdom, it is entirely appropriate to address me as Zelda."

"Does the Triforce make your status irrelevant somehow?" wondered Link as he handed Zelda her tea. The Queen shook her head.

"Quite the contrary, the Triforce gave me my name. When Ganondorf was sealed in the Sacred Realm, he still held the Triforce of Power. After the Hero of Time and the Royal Sage passed away, it was prophesied that when Ganondorf escaped the Sacred Realm, he would be defeated by two wielding not only the Triforce, but also the names of those who sealed him away. When I was born carrying the Triforce of Wisdom, the Sages told my parents that I was to also carry the name Zelda, the name of the Royal Sage. I myself was not given this information until Zant attacked; my father told me for whom I was named only minutes before he was slain in the courtyard. I suppose you were never told that you were given the same name as the Hero of Time."

"Never," Link replied. "My parents died before I could remember, and neither the Light Spirits nor the Sages told me that about myself."

"Now we face another question, however: Ganondorf died because he no longer carried the Triforce of Power. If he lost the Triforce of Power, where is it now? Why do you and I still carry the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom?"

"I haven't been tutored by the Sages, so I haven't even thought about that kind of thing," Link confessed. "But if you don't know where the Triforce is, does that mean some other conqueror might have it somehow?"

"That is possible, and if it is so, then perhaps we still retain our parts of the Triforce so that we might be able to stop this next invader," Zelda mused. Her eyes flicked toward the handle of the weapon Link carried on his back. "However, until such a threat manifests, it would be a premature course of action to take the Master Sword from its resting place."

"Sorry about that. I didn't plan on fighting with it; I just had an idea to run past the Sages and thought that my request might carry a little more weight if it came from the Hero of Twilight—that is, if it's all right with you."

"That would, of course, depend entirely upon what you had in mind. Would your plans involve returning to the Twilight Realm?" Zelda locked eyes with Link, who nodded. She delicately picked up a Danish, keeping it balanced between her fingertips as she nibbled. Link sat quietly, Ilia fidgeting, until Zelda was finished. Wiping her fingers on a handkerchief, Zelda spoke again.

"I must admit I was caught by surprise when Princess Midna shattered the Mirror of Twilight. I had hoped that recent cooperation between Light and Shadow would set the stage for a more lasting alliance so that, if either of our Realms was threatened by Evil again, we could assist one another." She frowned slightly. "With the Triforce of Power still missing, however, the other Realm would doubtlessly still be hazardous. If the Light of the Twilight Realm is still held within the Master Sword, then it would provide advantageous to retain its protection." Zelda stood, gazing past the town walls in the direction of Lake Hylia and the desert beyond. "I do not know if the Sages will construct a permanent Mirror, but we can at least ask Princess Midna why she shattered the old one."

"Excuse me, Princess," cut in Ilia. One hand was meekly raised as she stared at an unfinished crescent. "What do mirrors have to with returning to the Twilight Realm? Link told me that Princess Midna destroyed the passageway between the two kingdoms, so wouldn't you want a team of Gorons to clear it out?"

Confusion flitted across Zelda's face for a split second before being replaced by amusement. She turned to Link. "You haven't told her what's entailed in going to the Twilight Realm?" Chagrined, Link shook his head. Zelda continued, addressing Ilia. "The Twilight Realm isn't another country you can reach by travelling far enough. It was once the Realm of the Gods, and can only be reached by magic. The Mirror of Twilight was the instrument that opened the portal to the Twilight Realm."

"I see." Ilia stared at her crescent. "I don't know any magic, so does that mean that I can't go to the Twilight Realm?"

"I shouldn't see why not, many people have been sent to the Twilight Realm." Zelda frowned. She folded her hands, resting her chin on the backs of her fingers. "On the other hand, even those who were forced into the Realm had magic within them. Ganondorf, the ancestors of the Twili…. Link had the Master Sword, so it is entirely possible that one wishing to enter the Twilight Realm might need to have magic on their self." Biting her lip, Ilia looked away, and Link placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way."

"I am rather curious as to why you would want to enter the Twilight Realm," Zelda remarked. "The Twilight had a horrible effect on all the people of Hyrule, even when it was tempered by the Light of our Realm. Its full effects on someone not protected by the power of the goddesses would undoubtedly be far worse, and possibly irreversible."

"I don't care," Ilia murmured. Zelda and Link stared at her, shock plainly evident on Link's face. Ilia cleared her throat and raised her gaze to look directly at Zelda. "I don't care," she repeated. "If Link has to go to the Twilight Realm again, then I want to go with him. Someone has to make sure he comes back home safe."

"Very well, then." Zelda smiled gently as she stood. Slipping off her robe to uncover her elegant royal gown, she drew her sword. "If you are determined, then we must act with haste. Both of you stand near me." Link and Ilia complied, and Zelda raised her sword. As it glowed with magic, a triangle of light spread from the ground until it encompassed the trio. Still holding up her sword, Zelda retrieved a small blue ceramic instrument from the folds of her gown and raised it to her lips. She played a short sequence of notes that seemed quite mournful to Ilia, despite the high pitch of the instrument. A strong wind blew around them as Zelda put away the instrument, and the light from the magic triangle on the ground grew so bright that Ilia could see nothing else.

* * *

When the light faded, Ilia found herself standing on a stone dais in the middle of a sand-covered courtyard. The surrounding walls were at least six stories high and capped by six pillars, the tops of which were crowned with spires depicting the Hylian phoenix and a spirit medallion. As Ilia tried to distinguish between the different insignia on the medallions, a glowing white humanoid figure materialized above each spire. They floated down to encircle the trio and began speaking in chorus.

"_Hero of Twilight—Queen of Hyrule—Friend of the Hero—what is your purpose in returning to the Arbiter's Grounds, where once existed the Bridge between Light and Twilight?"_

"We seek to restore that Bridge," Zelda proclaimed, holding up her hand with her palm facing inward, presenting the emblem of the Triforce to the sages. Link held up his hand as well, the Triforce emblem glowing visibly through his gauntlet. "We present the gifts of the goddesses as tokens of our authority to make this request."

"_Yet the gifts of the goddesses are not enough to grant that request, nor is the Master Sword which the Hero has borne here,"_ the Sages declared. _"It was by the action of the Twili that the Mirror of Twilight was broken; it must be by the action of the Twili that the Mirror of Twilight is to be restored. You must ask the Ruler of the Twili to come to the Realm of Light. When we have the permission of the Ruler of the Twili, then we may restore the Mirror of Twilight."_

"But how are they supposed to do that?" Ilia cried, puzzled. "If Princess Midna went back to the Twilight Realm just before the Mirror was destroyed, then how are they supposed to talk to her? And how is she supposed to get here without the Mirror?" Zelda reached out and laid a hand on Ilia's arm, silently advising her to keep her peace. Nevertheless, the Sages answered her question.

"_The Realms of Light and Shadow are forever bonded together. There are times and places in which the barriers between the Realms are more easily crossed. The shadows in the Light Realm and the lights in the Shadow Realm show the weak points of the barrier."_ With that, the Sages faded from sight.

"That's it? What did that even mean?"

"It means that the way to the Twilight Realm is directly before us," Zelda declared, indicating the stone monolith nearby. "Link, would I be correct in remembering that the Master Sword had been imbued with Light from the Twilight Realm?" Link nodded.

"I just showed Ilia that yesterday at dusk, since it can only be seen in our twilight."

"Or any shadow, I would think," Zelda added. She stepped off the dais, walking to the monolith. "If I understand the lore and the Sages' words correctly, then we should be able to find the portal by bringing that light over here—light from the Shadow Realm and shadow of the Light Realm." Understanding brightened Link's countenance and he drew the Master Sword, dashing to the monolith. Ilia followed close behind, hopping across the hot sand in her bare feet until she reached the shade of the monolith. Chuckling, Link extended the blade of the Master Sword into the shade, where the light once again became visible. The shadow shimmered, and Ilia disappeared as her vision darkened. Zelda jumped, startled; Link yelled.

**Author's Note:**

…**.and here's where I pretty much chuck the rough draft I had for cooler ideas, greater conciseness, and stronger continuity between other Zelda games—at least, as far as I can tell from what I've played and what I've read on Wikipedia. Just one example: I originally had the Sages open the portal on the monolith, and they all went through together. Then, as I was typing, I decided to bring in the first tie to A Link to the Past by introducing portal-spots on the ground—which then brought up the idea of having Ilia unexpectedly go first. Yay for dramatic tension!**


	7. Chapter 7: Entering the Twilight Realm

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the intellectual property of Nintendo of America. All names, characters, story elements, and other distinguishing features of such are part of this intellectual property. No copyright infringement is intended by this work.

**Chapter 7: Entering the Twilight Realm**

A familiar chill passed through Ilia as her vision returned. She felt an emptiness that reminded her of the nearly-perpetual hunger she had experienced the winter before Talo had learned to walk. That emptiness, however, was confined to the belly; this weakness permeated every bone and muscle in her body. It was the same hollow feeling she had felt when she regained consciousness in North Hyrule after her kidnapping. At the time, she had concluded that it must have been a side effect from her missing memory; after Link's explanation of what happened to all of Hyrule, however—

"Link!" Ilia's eyes darted around, searching for her friend, searching for the Queen, searching for anyone. No one was around. As she took in her surroundings, she realized that the ground she was standing on was suspended in a sky of golden light filled with black clouds, a dark purple building rising from an elevation in the distance. It was the same view she had seen in Madame Fanaldi's crystal, but where were the people? Where were Link and Zelda? They were right behind her; were they protected from being pulled in to this awful landscape? Ilia drew her arms around herself, her fear squeezing an unconscious whimper from her lips.

* * *

"Blasted Shadow!" cursed Link. He stormed furiously around the landing area where the Mirror of Twilight once left its light, his fury fueled by the panicked concern that had been sparked by Ilia's disappearance. "Ilia? Ilia? Where are you?"

"I would venture to suggest that she has been consumed by the Shadow, as had happened when Zant brought the Twilight to Hyrule," Zelda proposed calmly. "Once again, you and I who have the gift of the Goddesses were protected."

"Except that I'm still human this time," Link huffed. "If I was a wolf again, I could probably…." He halted mid-stride. "The Master Sword, of course!" He drew it, offering the hilt to Zelda. "Here, let me get far enough away from this to let the Shadow turn me into a wolf. I can sense spirits in that state, so I'll be able to find Ilia. I'll bark when I find her, at which point you can bring it to me and, with any luck, its power will return Ilia to normal!"

Zelda smiled bemusedly at Link's grin as she took the Sword. "Very well." She stepped back a few paces, causing Link to drop to his knees as Shadow enveloped him. When his wolf form manifested, he lowered his head in obvious concentration, then began sniffing around. After only a few seconds, he barked and dashed off to the courtyard where several Twili were milling around.

* * *

Ilia decided that, if this was the location Madame Fanaldi had shown her, then the next step had to be figuring out what she was supposed to do here. Resolving to start her search with the building, she had begun to make her way across the courtyard. Just as she had crossed the paving and approached the slope, a light behind her caught her eye. She turned around to see a rod of pale golden light the length of her arm that shed sparks from its entire length, floating waist-height above the ground as it approached. The glow sparked a memory, and as she tried to ascertain what it was, the emptiness in her body felt like it was being filled. A bright flash of light filled her vision, and when it cleared, Link and Zelda stood before her. Elated, she leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Link.

"Oh, thank Ordon!" she cried. She felt Link reach out to the side then sheathe his sword before he returned the embrace, patting her back.

"It's okay now," he assured her. "Just stay near me and the Master Sword, and you'll be safe from the Shadow."

"Of course." Ilia remained in his embrace for a few moments, laying her head on his shoulder as she savored the warmth of his touch. She sighed contentedly before remembering that Zelda was with them as well, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to make the Queen wait. She released Link, kissing his cheek before taking his hand, smiling as he blushed. He smiled back for the briefest instant before squaring his shoulders.

"Watch out for this jump," he warned his companions as they ascended the rise, helping Ilia across a gap. "At least we don't have to worry about the Shadow Crystals this time," he added. "When I came here to fight Zant, a cascade of them was pouring through this gap, and I couldn't get across without slashing them with the Master Sword—and that barely stopped them long enough for me to get across. If we had to worry about them now, I can't imagine what we'd do." He chuckled nervously as he led his companions into the central tower.

The trio entered a spacious hallway, the surfaces made of dark blue stone with lines carved in angular patterns into the tiles. Aside from the Master Sword, the only light was provided by yellow disks set high up in the walls covered with wire mesh. A fainter glow radiated from lines on one specific tile on the ground, to which Link directed the women. As they stepped on the tile, the pattern grew brighter before rising, carrying them with it. Ilia clutched Link's arm.

"It's all right; these Sol Platforms are as safe as solid ground," he chuckled. Ilia relaxed somewhat, although she maintained her grip. The platform continued its ascent past a small ledge until it was about three stories above the floor, at which point it moved toward the center of the room before heading toward an alcove in the side wall, setting them down in front of a steps leading to a door.

"Almost there," Link announced. The door opened as he approached, revealing a grand pillar-lined hallway that ended in a massive door held closed by a central polished stone. It, too, yielded at Link's approach, revealing a massive chamber with a set of stairs on the opposite side leading to a dais. A swirling vortex of energy spread across the floor in front of the throne, where a tall slender woman with grey skin and orange hair, clad in a black robe, lounged across the seat. An arm draped over one armrest, her legs dangling off the other. Upon seeing her visitors, she sat up and grinned, revealing a pointed canine tooth in her otherwise symmetrical teeth.

"Why, Link! I was hoping to see you again someday, but I didn't expect to see you this soon! What brings you back to my humble little Realm?"

"We have a few matters that we would like to discuss related to the recent cooperation between our respective Realms," Zelda began. "Most immediately, we would be most grateful if you could explain why you saw fit to destroy the mirror of Twilight when the possibility of lasting cooperation between our Realms seemed most likely."

"You would, would you?" Midna scoffed as she stood, and Ilia gasped upon seeing her full height. Midna gracefully yet menacingly floated over the vortex and stepped down the stairs to Zelda, looking down at her Hylian counterpart. "I would hope that the Hylians haven't forgotten where the Twili came from."

"My understanding was that your ancestors were magic users who threatened the peace of Hyrule; is that correct?"

"More or less. There was obviously a great deal of discontent about our sentence, but after several generations, we had built a stable kingdom and were willing to keep to ourselves. Your so-called sages had other ideas."

"You were peaceful before Ganondorf's arrival and influence on your subjects," realized Zelda.

"Not only peaceful, but prosperous," Midna declared. "The courtyard you saw just outside the palace used to be just as busy as your own Castle Town before Zant declared war on the kingdom. He was outnumbered by the loyal Twili, but because of Ganondorf's dark sorcery, he slaughtered my people. He and his followers then invaded the Light Realm, where they had to be destroyed, leaving only the few elders you saw outside. The Twili are almost extinct, and I will be the last of my kind within a matter of years."

"I grieve for your loss of your people. Ganondorf truly spread suffering everywhere he went in his drive for power. However, I fail to understand why this tragedy drove you to destroy the link between our worlds."

"The entire miserable history of the Twili is the fault of your sages!" screamed Midna. "On the actions of a few usurpers, you banished the entire tribe! As if that wasn't bad enough, when we had finally accepted our lot, you doomed us to extinction by releasing Ganondorf into our realm, forcing us to deal with a threat that _you_ couldn't control even with the power of the goddesses! I can't even begin to imagine what else you could do to us, and I didn't want to risk finding out!"

"Midna!"

"Her anger is justified, Link," Zelda said quietly. Tears trickled from her eyes, her head bowed. "After her tribe was banished to the Sacred Realm, they were largely forgotten. Ganondorf was sentenced to death when he was conquered by the Hero of Time, but because the sages were unable to kill him, they panicked, and in their haste to be rid of Ganondorf, they forgot about the inhabitants of the Sacred Realm—even my ancestor and namesake, who knew the lore." Zelda tightly closed her eyes until her tears stopped, then looked up at Midna. "We were foolish, and have only now begun to understand what we have done. However, we still have means to enter this Realm without the Mirror: If we wanted to, we could continue to banish those we fear. Do you have a way of leaving this Realm so that you can make us face the consequences of our actions and take responsibility for them?"

"No." Midna bit her lip. "But neither do I have a way to survive in the Light Realm without hiding in shadow or Twilight." She turned around, took a few steps up the stairs, and then stopped at the edge of the vortex. "It doesn't matter. As I said before, my race will be dead in a matter of years. Leave us alone until then, and do whatever you want with this Realm afterwards. For all I know, it might become the Sacred Realm again when we're no longer corrupting it with our magic."

"The Sacred Realm will not be returned to its original glory until the Triforce is reassembled," Zelda declared. "The fact that Link and I still bear our tokens means that the aspect of Power was not released with Ganondorf's death. His essence may yet linger somewhere, and we have to be prepared to fight him again. That must include the possibility of allowing the next Hero to travel between the Realms."

"Very well!" Midna, having run out of excuses for the moment, turned back to face the Light denizens. "I have an idea that might work, but I'll need to do some research to make sure. I have some guest chambers you can stay in. If it seems like this plan will work, I'll send for you at supper time, at which point I'll need you to bring the Master Sword." She stepped up into the air to hover over the vortex, stopped, and turned around. The topknot of her hair glowed, forming a shape that looked very much like a hand. "On second thought, maybe you'd better come with me."

Link nodded, bracing himself for the disorientation that always accompanied Midna's portal magic. Instead, the hand of hair shot a bolt of energy at Ilia that crackled all over her body. Ilia stared down at her hand, terror in her face as she watched herself dissolve into brilliant sparkles of energy.

"Link!"

His heart wrenched at the sight, far worse than the illusion Midna had shown him on the ramparts of Hyrule Castle before returning him to Ordon spring. However, by the time he had reached out to her, she and Midna had gone, and the vortex at the foot of Midna's throne had closed. Zelda immediately headed back to the door from where they came in. She glanced back to see Link staring at her, confused.

"Aren't we going to find Midna? We don't want anything happening to Ilia, do we?"

Link shook his head. "I wouldn't have any idea where to begin looking. Midna could have taken her anywhere in the Twilight Realm; she might not be anywhere near the palace. More importantly, though, I know she won't hurt Ilia. She knows how much she means to me."

"'How much she means to you'…" A slight self-deprecating smile spread across Zelda's lips. "How odd that I should hold Nayru's Wisdom, yet I couldn't realize the situation right in front of my face; I thought you were bringing her as an envoy for Ordon. While her affection for you was obvious, I didn't even consider that you might be betrothed."

"Not officially, but Mayor Bo has expressed every faith in seeing us married in the very near future." A slight blush tinted his cheeks, and Zelda nodded.

"Everything makes much more sense now." Zelda walked back to Link. "Perhaps Ilia might not be as safe as you believe, but rushing to her rescue would only aggravate Midna's current pique. As such, all we can do is wait. Do you know where the guest rooms are of which Midna spoke, or will an attendant be along to show us the way?"

Link sighed. "She did say she would send an attendant at suppertime if her idea worked, but I don't know how long that will be." He sat down, leaning against the wall as he stretched his legs out. "I have no idea how the Twili determine time without the sun, but it was just after breakfast time in Hyrule when we first arrived…."

"We will manage," Zelda declared. "I imagine that this is not the first time you've had to miss a meal or two, and it certainly isn't mine." She knelt across from Link, carefully spreading the skirts of her dress to keep her legs covered. "In the meantime, some quiet contemplation will be beneficial. There are still many decisions to be made regarding the revitalization of Hyrule, and now I must consider how we might assist the Twili should Midna accept our apologies."

With a nod, Link sat down. He stretched out his left leg, resting his right arm on his right leg. He pulled off his left gauntlet, settling the bare hand on his raised knee as he contemplated the sacred image on the back of his hand

**

* * *

Author's Note:**

**Upper-level university courses: fun! Still I apparently have fans, so I guess I'd better get back to this. With any luck, I'll finish this story before Zelda Wii comes out. Maybe Aonuma will push the release date back to work out some development issues. (I kid; I don't want to wait another year either!)**


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